Hopes of tying Lionel Messi down for a contract extension have hit a wall despite Barcelona insisting on their plans to renew their superstar attacker by March in the new year.
Reports last month suggested that the Argentine international had rejected a contract offer from the Blaugrana during the summer, and the player has since been linked with a move away from the club with Manchester City touted as a possible destination.
However, the club have since made known their intentions of keeping the five-time Ballon d'Or winner at the club, with president Josep Maria Bartomeu planning on making Messi the highest-paid footballer in the world.
To this day, though, there has been no official meeting between player and club to address the situation and the Catalan side passed up the opportunity to propose an improved contract to Messi's father recently whilst he was still in Barcelona.
It is believed the only contact Barcelona and Messi have made regarding this issue has been via phone conversations.
Nevertheless, the club have worked hard to tie several of the 29-year-old's close friends with Neymar, Luis Suarez and Javier Mascherano recently pledging their futures to the club.